“A business victory in the end”, is how John Heitinga describes Ajax’s victory over NEC (1-0). The team from Amsterdam therefore remains in the footsteps of the competition, which all won with the same result this weekend.
“In the beginning we had good intentions. Aggressive pressure, lots of running actions, but we didn’t score”, Heitinga starts. “Then we become a bit more static and in the end we did not reach the level of the first part.” After the break, Mohammed Kudus gave his team the lead and that turned out to be enough for the victory. “In the end you win the game. At this stage of the competition, the three points are the most important thing.”
“NEC doesn’t get many goals against for nothing,” says Heitinga about the opponent who even conceded one goal less than Ajax before the match. “Against a compact organization you have to play from the sides more often. But we didn’t score. The entertainment value wasn’t that high. People come to the stadium and want to be entertained, but we need to entertain the 53,000 people who were here today.”
Calvin Bassey
At Ajax, the last matches have room for Calvin Bassey again. The defender who came over from Glasgow Rangers in the summer was even elected Man of the Match. “I’m strength and power in the team and speed on the flank,” says Bassey. “Ajax helps me understand the game better. I’m here to grow as a player. This is one of the best places for young players to develop.”
Ajax will visit sc Heerenveen next week. The following week follows the Classic against Feyenoord in the Johan Cruijff Arena.